Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2024 to Question 4008 on Childcare: Recruitment, what steps his Department is taking to (a) monitor and (b) enforce the payment of the National Living Wage in the early education and childcare sector.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government is clear that anyone entitled to the minimum wage should receive it. Robust enforcement action is taken against employers who do not pay their staff correctly.
HMRC enforces the minimum wage on behalf of DBT, and they investigate where they believe an employer is not paying the minimum wage. This includes considering all complaints from workers, conducting proactive enforcement activities in sectors considered high risk, and delivering educational activity to support employer compliance.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department made an assessment of the potential impact of increased data processing on water usage before the investment by Blackstone in a data centre in Blyth was announced.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Construction on Blackstone's chosen site for its £10bn data centre investment in Blyth will be subject to securing appropriate planning permission. As part of the planning process, applicants may be required to carry out Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) which may include an assessment of any issues around water scarcity and pollution, if it is considered that these could be impacted by the development. Whether a full EIA is required is a decision for the Local Planning Authority in the first instance.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department made an environmental impact assessment of the data centre in Blyth before the investment by Blackstone was announced.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Construction on Blackstone’s chosen site for its £10bn data centre investment in Blyth will be subject to securing appropriate planning permission. As part of the planning process, Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) are carried out by applicants where a development is considered to have significant impacts on the environment. Whether a full EIA is required is a decision for the Local Planning Authority in the first instance.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the Government has offered Blackstone tax incentives as part of the agreement to build a data centre in Blyth.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government does not provide any specific tax incentives for data centres. The site chosen by Blackstone for its data centre investment in Blyth, Northumberland, is in an Investment Zone tax site within the North East Investment Zone designed to support new investment in Advanced Manufacturing and Green Industries. Guidance on eligibility for tax reliefs in Investment Zone sites is available on gov.uk. His Majesty's Revenue and Customs administers National Insurance, Stamp Duty Land Tax, Enhanced Structures and Buildings Allowance, and Enhanced Capital Allowance relief, and the relevant billing authority administers relief on business rates.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps she is taking to help ensure that British multinationals operate to domestic environmental standards when operating overseas.
Answered by Greg Hands
All British multinationals must comply with relevant British and international law as applicable to their location and operation. The Government is committed to the implementation of the revised OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct, which includes recommendations to multinational enterprises on the environment.